Amusement device



March 4, 1941. c. A. BRINK 2,233,729

' AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed Dec. 18, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 LE FT FIELD TRAP CENTER Fl LD TRAP CATCHING TRAP Cfie INVENITOR ATTO RN EYS 18, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR m eater-"A 1? 2 ATTORNEYS C. A. BRINK AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed Dec.

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March 4, 1941. Q BRINK 2,233,729

' AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed Dec. 18, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet s ATTORNEYS c. A. BRINK 2,233,729

AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed Dec. 18, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 March 4, 1941.

Patented Mar. 4, 1941 UNITED STATES smear OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to amusement devices and especially is concerned with a new and improved amusement device intended to simulate in use certain aspects of a baseball game.

It is an object of the present invention to pro vide an amusement device including a board representative of a baseball field together with means for pitching and means for batting a ball whereby various plays in baseball may be simulated for the purpose of amusing the player or of improving his skill in operating the device.

Another object of this invention is to provide in a device of the type mentioned improved means for causing coaction of the pitching and batting means whereby a pitched ball is assured of being struck by the batting means at the appropriate and suitable instant during its travel whereby the ball can be delivered to portions of the field in a manner not dissimilar to the corresponding delivery in ordinary playing of baseball.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide for sequential actuation of the pitch-.

ing and batting means, the former being latchcontrolled and being operated by the latter.

An advantage of the novel baseball amusement device according to this invention over existing and similar amusement devices is its simplicity of construction and its novel use of spring urging and tensioning means which serve during use of the device to cause actuation of several motivating elements facilitating proper sequential action of the elements of the device.

Other objects, advantages and features of the new and improved amusement device according to the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in this art during the course of the following description.

Regarded in certain of its broader aspects the novel amusement device according to this invention comprises a field board wherein a located projectile impelling or pitching means delivering a projectile to batting means mounted upon a rod swingable about a vertical axis, the invention residing especially in the improved means for simultaneously operating the impelling means and the batting means whereby sequentially at a predetermined time interval after the projectile is delivered from the impelling means the batting means is actuated.

In order to facilitate a fuller and more complete understanding of the present invention a specific embodiment thereof herein illustrated will be hereinafter described, it being clearly understood, however, that the illustrated embodiment, although presently preferred, is provided solely by way of example of the practice of this invention and not by way of limitation thereof except insofar as the invention is recited in the subjoined claims.

Referring then to the drawings,

Figure 1 is substantially a top plan view of the presently preferred embodiment of the instant invention showing the game. board with impelling and batting means mounted thereon,

Fig. 2 is substantially a vertical sectional view of Fig. 1 taken along the line 2-2 thereof,

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of Fig. 2 taken along the line 33 thereof,

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of impelling and batting mechanism, parts being broken away for clearness of illustration,

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of Fig. 4 taken along the line 5-5 thereof,

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view of the batting mechanism, and

Fig. 7 is substantially a perspective view of the device provided for adjusting the level of the game board.

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view, taken on the line 88 of Fig. 4, showing the locking means for the carriage.

Referring now particularly to Fig. 1 of the drawings forming a part of this specification it 30 will be evident that the amusement device generally designated by the reference character ll) comprises a board ll somewhat elliptical in outline which carries centrally located projectile impelling means generally designated by the reference character l2 and projectile batting means generally designated by the reference character 3. The batting and impelling means are located on a common line extending length.-

wise across the board. A plurality of sockets I5, 40 i6, and H are arranged upon the board in positions corresponding to corners of a rectangle similar to the relative position of bases in a baseball game and, in the vicinity of the sockets, traps l8, I9 and 2B partially obstructed by guard members 2|, 22 and 23 respectively are arranged. At a greater distance from the batting means [3 are located right and left field traps 24 and 25 respectively and a center field trap 23. Remote traps 2'! and 28 behind the center field trap are 5D intended in the preferred embodiment of the present invention to serve as so-called home run traps. Foul traps 29 and 30 are located near the batting means [3 as shown and are provided with guard members 3| and 32 which extend across the mouths of the traps essentially as is illustrated in Fig. 1.. A catching trap 33 located to the rear of the batting means I3 and a ball trap 34 are located to the left of the batting means complete the system of traps and hazards which serve to influence the playing of the game. The board is circumscribed by a rim 35 to prevent the projectiles from falling off the board during playing of the game. The board is carried upon a stand comprising crossed frames 36 and. 31 connected by cross pieces 38. It is especially to be noted that the cross pieces 39 engage with sockets 39a mounted on under portions of the board [I whereby the board is sup-' ported firmly upon the frames. The spreading of the frames is restricted by a chain 39b connecting the cross pieces 39 substantially as shown.

Referring now especially to Figs. 4 and5 it will be seen that the projectile impelling means generally designated by the reference character I2 comprises a pair of spaced guide bars 58 attached to the bottom of the board I I which serve to guide and permit free sliding motion of a carriage 5| positioned therebetween substantially as shown. The carriage normally is urged toward one end of the guide 50 by a spring 53 connected to a cross piece 54 and to parts of the carriage. Projecting latch element 55 mounted on the carriage 5| at the end opposite the place of attachment of the spring tensioning means 53 engages with a hook 58 carried upon a shaft 5'! journaled in bearings 58 and urged in a clockwise direction by the spring 5101. beneath the game board substantially as shown. As Will be apparent to those skilled in this art, the hook element 56 does not engage with the latch element 55 except when the carriage 5| has been moved along the guides 58 against the tensioning action of the springs 53.

An upright post 59 is mounted upon the carriage to facilitate sliding the carriage into cocked position, that isa position when the hook element urged by a spring 51a, engages the latch element 55 and a ball striking pin 88 is also mounted on the carriage for purposes hereinafter to be described. A guide member 6I having a channel 62 extending partially therethrough by opening toward the batting means is mounted upon the top of the game board to facilitate guiding the projectiles during the playing of the game.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 4, 5 and 6 wherein details of the batting means best are illustrated, it will be noted that said means generally designated by the reference character I3 comprises a radially extending arm I0 fixedly mounted on the top end of the shaft II by means including a screw 12, the shaft H being freely rotatably mounted in an upright bearing member 13 mounted upon portions of the board II by means including the screws I4. A gear 15 mounted near the bottom end of the shaft II is fixedly attached thereto for causing rotation of the'shaft and swinging of the arm 18 as will hereinafter be described. A downwardly dependent substantially cylindrical resilient member 18 preferably formed from rubber or the like is attached to the distal end of the arm 18 by means of a screw 'II.

A pair of spaced ways 88 mounted on the under surface of the board II, are disposed in substantial parallelism essentially as shown and serve as mounting fora carriage 8| freely slidingly receivedbetween the ways and normally held at one end of its axis of travel by spring tensioning means 82.

A toggle snap arm 83 freely swingably mounted.

upon the carriage 8| by the pin 84 is provided on its distal end with a segmental gear element 85 which, upon occasion, as will hereinafter be described, is engageable with the gear I5 mounted on the shaft 'II whereby the arm I8 may be swung. Tensioning means comprising a spring 86 is attached to a screw 81 mounted upon the arm 83 between the proximal and distal ends thereof and attached at its opposite end to under portions of the board II is arranged in a manner such that the spring is under greatest tension when a line connects the ends of the spring and intersects the axis of rotation of the arm 83 whereby toggle snap action characterized movement of the arm, that is to say, the arm tends to move from the maximum tensioned position when once the equilibrium of the system has been disturbed. A guide member 89 mounted on one of the ways 88 extends obliquely across the line of travel of the carriage 8| inthe ways 88 and extends downwardly from the under-surface of the board II to engage with parts of the arm 83 whereby, as the carriage 8| is advanced against the tension of thespring 82, the arm 83 is moved in a counter-clockwise direction as illustrated in Fig. 4. It is to be noted that when the carriage is in restricted position, as illustrated in full view in Fig. 4, one end of the segmental gear 85 rests against the guide 89, but as the carriage is moved forwardly in the. ways, the segmental gear is moved about its axis whereby the spring 86 passes the axis of motion of the arm, thereby causing the arm to be snapped rapidly in a counterclockwise direction whereby rapid swinging motion is imparted to the arm III by engagement of the gear I5 with the segmental gear 85. A second guide member 90 mounted on one of the ways 80 other than the way upon which the first guide 89 is mounted is adapted to engage with parts of the segmental gear 85 during return motion of the carriage 8| to cause a segmental gear to be moved into the position shown in full view in Fig. 4, that is to say, to cause it to rest against the first guide 89.

As will be apparent'from the foregoing, operation of the projectile impelling means I2 and the projectile batting means I3 is dependent upon sliding motion of the carriages 5| and 8| respectively. The means for causing sliding motion of the carriages will now be described, reference being madeespecially to Figs, 2, 4 and 5. A frame 92 freely swingably mounted in bearings 93 attached to the under-side of the board I I is swingable manually by means including a handle 94,

the handle projecting upwardly through an opening in the board II to facilitate operation of the device. A rod 95 received in an opening in the carriage 8| and secured thereto by a set screw 95a is slidingly received in portions .of the cross piece 54 and in the bearing 9511. A collar 96 fixedly mounted upon the rod 95 is connected to the frame 92 by the connector member 91 whereby oscillation of the frame 92 in the bearings 93 causes reciprocation of the connector member 91 with re sultant reciprocation of the rod. 95, thereby causing the carriage 8| to be reciprocated in the ways 88. A second collar 98 mounted upon the rod 95 and provided with a projection 98a engages with a trip arm 99 mounted on the shaft 97 whereby, when the carriage 5| is in cocked position, engagement of the trip arm with the projection on the collar will cause unlatching of the carriage permitting the sameto move freelyunder action of the spring 53. 1

Having thus described the structural features of the novel amusement device according to the present invention its mode of operation next will be described during which reference will be made to the several figures of the drawings and to the parts therein illustrated. A ball or projectile is placed within the open channel 62 formed in the member 6| whereby the ball rests against the upright pin 60, The carriage 5| is moved into cocked position by means of the pin 59 whereby the hook element 56 engages the latch element 55 holding the carriage against movement by the tensioning spring 53. The player thereafter oscillates the operating arm 94 causing the projection 98a to trip the arm 99 thereby disengaging the hook member 56 from the latch element 55 permitting the carriage 5| to move under action of the tensioning means 53 whereby the ball or projectile is delivered from the impelling means I2 into the direction of the batting means l3. As the lever 94 is moved forwardly and at a time interval after the tripping of the arm 99 the guide 89 moves the segmental gear 85 to a position such' that the tensioning spring 86 snaps the arm 83 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 4, thereby causing rapid swinging motion of the arm 10 by reason of engagement of the segmental gear 15 with the gear I0. The resilient cylindrical member 16 carried on the arm 10 strikes the projectile or ball delivered from the impelling means [2 causing the projectile or ball to move about the game board and to enter one of the various traps above described. Rules established by the players determine the relative value of the various traps and continued playing of the game can result in skill in manipulating the device to cause the projectile or ball to move into a selected trap,

It is important that the game board during the playing of the game be level and to this end a leveling device illustrated in Fig. '7 preferably is employed. The device generally designated by the reference character I00 comprises a base I0! carrying an arched standard I02 from which hangs a weighted pointer pendant I03 freely connected to the standard by a ring l03a. An index mark 13b is provided on the base IOI corresponding to horizontal position of the base. In use the base is placed upon the game board and adjustments made until the pointer of the pendant is directly above the index mark.

It is to be understood that this invention is capable of extended application and is not confined to the precise illustrated forms nor described construction and, therefore, such changes and modifications may be made therein as do not affect the spirit of the invention nor exceed the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the present invention, what it is desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an amusement device of the character described, a playing board having a diamond marked thereon to simulate a base ball field, a spring actuated impelling means for delivering a proJ' ectile towards the home plate, a pivoted batting means in rear of the home plate in line with the projectile impelling means, a spring for operating the impelling means, means for locking the impelling means in operative position against the tension of the spring, spring means for operating the pivoted batting means, a spring tensioned toggle snap arm for operating the batting arm, and a rod connecting the toggle snap arm with the locking means of the impelling means, whereby the first part of the movement of the toggle snap arm releases the impelling means and thereafter operates the batting means.

2. In an amusement device of the character described, a playing board having a diamond marked thereon to simulate a base ball field, a spring actuated impelling means for projecting a ball towards the home plate, means for locking the projecting means in operative Position against the tension of the spring, a pivoted batting means in rear of the home plate in line with the projecting means, a spring tensioned toggle snap arm for operating the batting arm through the tension of the spring, a rod connected to the toggle snap arm and extending beneath the projecting means, an arm carried by the rod and adapted to release the locking means for the projecting means, and means for hand operation of the snap arm, whereby the projecting means is first released and a continued movement of the snap arm operates the batting means.

3. In an amusement device of the character described, a playing board having a diamond marked thereon to simulate a base ball field, a spring actuated impelling means for delivering a projectile towards the home plate, a hook member carried by the impelling means, an oscillating shaft adjacent the hook member, a hook carried by the shaft and adapted to engage the hook of the impelling means, a spring for oscillating the shaft for holding the hook members in engaged position, a pivoted batting means in rear of the home plate in line with the impelling means, a spring tensioned toggle snap arm operatively connected to the batting means, a rod connected to the toggle snap arm and extending towards the impelling means, a projection carried by said rod and adapted to oscillate the shaft for releasing the impelling means, a manually operated means for the toggle snap arm for moving it past the center when it is operated by the spring for operating the batting means rapidly, whereby the impelling means is released prior to the operation of the batting means.

4. In an amusement device of the character described, a playing board having a diamond marked thereon to simulate a base ball field, a spring actuated impelling means for delivering a projectile towards the home plate, a hook member carried by the impelling means, an oscillating shaft adjacent the hook member, a hook carried by the shaft and adapted to engage the hook of the impelling means, a spring for oscillating the shaft for holding the hook members in engaged position, a pivoted batting means in rear of the home plate in line with the impelling means, a gear carried by the lower end of the pivot of the batting means, a spring tensioned toggle snap arm adjacent the gear, a segment carried by said arm and adapted to engage the gear carried by the pivot of the batting arm, a rod connected to the snap arm and extending adjacent the impelling means, a projection carried by the rod and adapted to operate the shaft for releasing the impelling means, and a manually operated means for the toggle snap arm for moving it past the center when it operated by the springfor rapidly operating the batting means, whereby the impelling means is released prior to the operation of the batting means.

CHESTER A. BRINK. 

